Built on the highest point of the steep grassy site, Robert Konieczny who is also the owner and head architect at KWK Promes derived the idea for the property to frame the expansive landscape.
Location of the house on a steep slope, was followed by high risk of landslip, more and more frequent in polish mountains. As to limit the movement of the subsoil the house was treated as a bridge, under which rain water flows naturally. Realities of mountain landscape as well as the local law constrained a gable roof. House took the form of a typical barn standing on three thin walls. To give rigidity to the building the walls were tensed by the planes of the ”inverted” roof, slightly lifted over gound. Their incline increased the feeling of security. And so, we basically created a house with two roofs that protect it from water, it began to resamble an arc floating over the fields. After some time I realized, that in order not to disturb this impression, the best garden design would be lack of it, the best fence would be a temporary herding fence, the best approach – few rocks. In the same time the building was supposed to be cheap and easy to construct. That is why I deciced on insulating it from the inside, the concrete structure became an finnished elevation. This is how I got rid of complicated details and finish, they were replaced by poured concrete from a local producer. Sprayed closed-cell-structure foam turned out to be the optimal insulation. It is also a vapour barrier.
Architects KWK Promes
Location Kraków, Poland
Photographs Olo Studio , Jakub Certowicz